Tag: boston

Red Sox top prospect Marcelo Mayer returns to Low-A Salem’s lineup

Top Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer returned to Low-A Salem’s lineup for the first time since April 23 on Tuesday morning.

Batting third and serving as designated hitter, Mayer went 1-for-4 with a single, two strikeouts, and a stolen base in Salem’s 1-0 win over the Delmarva Shorebirds at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

Mayer’s 3 1/2 week absence initially came as a result of what the Red Sox described as workload management. During that time, however, the 19-year-old shortstop began experiencing minor soreness in his right wrist that further delayed his return to action.

According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, the Sox preferred to wait things out with Mayer and have him back at full strength as opposed to having him “running uphill for the rest of 2022.”

Including Tuesday’s performance, Mayer is now batting .328/.388/.475 with six doubles, one home run, 10 RBIs, nine runs scored, four stolen bases, six walks, and 19 strikeouts through 14 games (67 plate appearances) this season. Tuesday marked just the second time this year the left-handed hitter has been used as Salem’s DH.

The Red Sox originally selected Mayer with the fourth overall pick in last year’s amateur draft, so this is the Southern California native’s first full professional season. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the 14th-ranked prospect in all of baseball.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan tosses 5 scoreless innings in latest start for High-A Greenville

Red Sox pitching prospect Shane Drohan put together one of his best starts of the season for High-A Greenville in their series finale against the Rome Braves on Sunday.

Over five innings of work at Fluor Field, Drohan did not allow a run while scattering just three hits and one walk to go along with four strikeouts on the afternoon. The left-hander retired 14 of the 18 batters he faced, induced three groundouts to three flyouts, and finished with a final pitch count of 73 (47 strikes). He also improved to 2-2 as the Drive ultimately defeated the Braves by a final score of 10-3.

Through six starts for Greenville this season, Drohan has posted a 4.45 ERA and 4.08 FIP with 34 strikeouts to 11 walks across 30 1/3 innings pitched. Among qualified pitchers in the South Atlantic League, the 23-year-old ranks first in innings pitched, second in strikeouts, 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.09), 18th in walks per nine innings (3.26), 17th in strikeout rate (26.6%), 17th in walk rate (8.6%), sixth in swinging strike rate (16.4%), 18th in batting average against (.241), 18th in WHIP (1.29), 18th in ERA, 12th in FIP, and 14th in xFIP (4.19), per FanGraphs.

The Red Sox originally selected Drohan in the fifth round of the pandemic-shortened 2020 amateur draft out of Florida State University and signed the former Seminole for $600,000 later that summer.

A native of Florida himself, Drohan was first drafted by the Phillies in 2017 out of Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach. He did not sign with Philadelphia, though, and instead spent three years on campus in Tallahassee before going pro in 2020.

After debuting with and spending the entirety of the 2021 season with Low-A Salem, Drohan is currently regarded by SoxProspects.com as the No. 49 prospect in Boston’s farm system — which ranks 21st among pitchers in the organization — one month into the 2022 campaign.

Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Drohan possesses a repeatable delivery and throws from a three-quarters arm slot. The 6-foot-3, 195 pound southpaw operates with a three-pitch mix that consists of an 88-92 mph fastball, a 75-78 mph curveball, and a 78-81 mph changeup.

Drohan, who turned 23 in Janurary, could find his way to Double-A Portland before season’s end. As things stand now, the Sea Dogs have several starters (like Brayan Bello, Jay Groome, and Brandon Walter) who will likely be promoted to Triple-A Worcester at some point this summer.

With that, Portland could have opening in its starting rotation before long and Drohan would certainly be a candidate to take one of those spots when the time comes.

(GIF of Shane Drohan via the Greenville Drive)

Red Sox’ Kyle Hart, Brayan Bello earn International League, Eastern League Pitcher of the Week honors

A pair of Red Sox minor-league pitchers have received weekly honors from the respective leagues they pitch in. On Monday, Triple-A Worcester left-hander Kyle Hart was named the International League’s Pitcher of the Week while Double-A Portland right-hander Brayan Bello was named the Eastern League’s Pitcher of the Week.

Hart made his second start and seventh overall appearance of the season for Worcester on the road against the Toledo Mud Hens on Saturday. The lefty did not give up a hit and scattered three walks to go along with a season-high eight strikeouts over six scoreless innings of work. 53 of the 81 pitches he threw went for strikes.

With the WooSox this year, Hart — who pitched in the majors in 2020 — has posted a 5.88 ERA and 5.83 FIP with 26 strikeouts to 15 walks across his seven outings that span a total of 26 innings pitched. The 29-year-old southpaw has put up these numbers while holding opposing left-handed hitters to a .237/.268/.500 slash line and opposing right-handed hitters to a .258/.390/.436 slash line against.

Bello, on the other hand, is four days removed from tossing a seven-inning no hitter against the Reading Fightin Phils in the night cap of a doubleheader at Hadlock Field on May 5.

Making his fifth start of the season for the Sea Dogs this past Thursday, Bello allowed one unearned run to score on three walks and five strikeouts in the process of recording the fifth no-hitter in team history. He finished the night having thrown 96 pitches — 55 of which went for strikes.

Through his first five starts of 2022, Bello has produced a 1.95 ERA and 3.37 FIP with 37 strikeouts to 11 walks over 27 2/3 innings pitched. Among qualified Eastern League pitchers, the Dominican-born righty ranks sixth in strikeout rate (34.3%), second in swinging strike rate (20.3%), 24th in walk rate (10.2%), third in batting average against (.134), fifth in WHIP (0.87), fifth in ERA, 10th in FIP, and fourth in xFIP (2.62), per FanGraphs.

Bello, who turns 23 next week, is the reigning Red Sox Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year. Equipped with a high-octane fastball, the 6-foot-1, 170 pound hurler is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 5 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks first among pitchers in the organization.

(Picture of Kyle Hart: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox outfield prospect Eduardo Lopez celebrates 20th birthday by hitting third home run in his last 5 games

Red Sox outfield prospect Eduardo Lopez celebrated his 20th birthday on Sunday by having a very productive day at the plate for Low-A Salem in their doubleheader against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.

Batting sixth and starting in center field for both contests at Haley Toyota Field, Lopez went a cumulative 3-for-6 with one double, one home run, three RBIs, and one run scored as Salem split the twin bill with Myrtle Beach.

Over his last five games, Lopez has hit three home runs and collected six RBIs. On the 2022 season as a whole, the switch-hitter is batting .306/.364/.531 to go along with two doubles, all three of his homers, seven runs driven in, four runs scored, three stolen bases, five walks, and 19 strikeouts over 13 games spanning 55 plate appearances. He began the year on the injured list and did not make his 2022 debut until April 23.

Defensively, Lopez has seen all of his playing time to this point in the year come in either center or right field. Taking Sunday’s showing into account, the 6-foot, 187 pounder has now logged 72 innings in center and 17 innings in right while recording a total of three outfield assists.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Lopez originally signed with the Red Sox as an international free agent in July 2018 and received a hefty $1.150 million bonus — the largest of the class — by doing so. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League the following June.

After the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 minor-league season and injury limited him to just 11 games between the Florida Complex League and Salem in 2021, Lopez came into the 2022 campaign ranked by SoxProspects.com as the No. 35 and by FanGraphs as the No. 33 prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Per his SoxProspects.com scouting report, Lopez possesses a high baseball IQ and has “solid overall instincts” for his age. FanGraphs, on the other hand, notes that Lopez “is a fluid athlete with a smooth, well-connected swing from both sides of the plate and decent feel for contact” who also is an average runner “with good outfield instincts and a plus arm.”

Given his history, it feels safe to assume that the Red Sox will exercise patience when it comes to Lopez’s development. In other words, it would not be surprising if he spent the rest of the year with Salem regardless of how he performs. Could a late-season promotion to High-A Greenville be possible? Perhaps, but only time will tell.

(Picture of Eduardo Lopez courtesy of the Salem Red Sox)

Red Sox’ Carlos Martínez allows 5 runs on 4 hits in first start for Triple-A Worcester

Carlos Martinez made his Red Sox organizational debut for Triple-A Worcester on Sunday afternoon. It did not go well.

Getting the start against the Toledo Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field, Martinez allowed five earned runs on four hits, two walks, and no strikeouts while only recording the first two outs of the first inning.

The right-hander got those two outs rather quickly, but then gave up a two-out double to Daz Cameron, a seven-pitch walk to Josh Lester, an RBI single to Ryan Lavarnway, a six-pitch walk to Jacob Robson, an RBI single to Dustin Garneau, and a two-run double to old friend Jack Lopez.

Lopez would be the last batter Martinez faced on Sunday as he was replaced on the mound by Eduard Bazardo. He finished with a final pitch count of 33 — only 16 of which went for strikes — and was ultimately charged with the losing decision.

The Red Sox signed Martinez to a minor-league contract on Saturday. The 30-year-old hurler began the 2022 season in the Giants organization but asked for and was granted his release by San Francisco in late April, thus making him a free-agent to begin with.

Shortly after the news of his signing broke, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reported that the Sox view Martinez “as a low-risk addition to their organizational pitching depth and believe they have identified some adjustments that could lead to quick improvements.”

Martinez, who turns 31 in September, originally signed with Boston as an infielder coming out of the Dominican Republic in 2009. But the Puerto Plata native’s contract was voided and he would up signing with the Cardinals the following spring.

A two-time All-Star who also pitched against the Red Sox in the 2013 World Series during his time in St. Louis, Martinez most-recently posted a 6.23 ERA and 4.76 FIP with 57 strikeouts to 36 walks over 16 starts (82 1/3 innings pitched) for the Cardinals in 2021. His season ended in July due to a torn thumb ligament that required surgery. The Cardinals subsequently declined his $17 million club option for 2022 over the winter.

After getting some work in with Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican Winter League during the off-season, Martinez inked a minors pact with the Giants in March but did not see any in-game action with any of San Francisco’s affiliates before getting released last month.

With that, Sunday’s start for Worcester marked Martinez’s first outing of 2022. While the results may not have been there in Toledo, it’s likely the veteran of nine major-league seasons was more concerned with shaking off any rust and getting back into the swing of things.

Before going under the knife last summer, Martinez primarily worked with a six-pitch mix that consisted of a four-seam fastball, slider, cutter, sinker, changeup, and curveball.

Given his past experience as both a starter and reliever, Martinez could prove to be a versatile option for the Red Sox should chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. elect to call him up to the big-league club at some point this season.

For the time being, one would have to think Martinez will make another start for the WooSox during their upcoming series against the Rochester Red Wings that begins Tuesday at Polar Park.

(Picture of Carlos Martinez: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Michael Wacha on 15-day injured list, recall Tyler Danish from Triple-A Worcester

Prior to getting swept by the White Sox on Sunday, the Red Sox placed right-hander Michael Wacha on the 15-day injured list due to left intercostal irritation. In a corresponding move, fellow righty Tyler Danish was recalled from Triple-A Worcester.

Wacha had been slated to start Sunday’s series finale against Chicago at Fenway Park, but was scratched shortly before first pitch due to what Boston manager Alex Cora described as left side soreness.

At that time, Cora was hopeful that Wacha would be able to pitch in Texas next weekend since he underwent an MRI on Saturday that came back clean. Cora also told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) that the Red Sox were being cautious with the 30-year-old hurler since he has a prior history of oblique injuries.

Since his stint on the injured list was backdated to May 5, the soonest Wacha could return to the mound for the Red Sox is May 20. This means that he will not be available for next weekend’s series against the Rangers as Cora had originally hoped.

Through five starts for Boston this season, Wacha has posted a miniscule 1.38 ERA and 3.89 FIP to go along with 19 strikeouts to 11 walks over 26 innings of work. The 6-foot-6, 215 pound righty led the Sox in bWAR (1.4) coming into play on Sunday.

With Wacha sidelined, Tanner Houck started in his place in Sunday’s series finale and allowed three runs on four hits, no walks, one hit batsman, and two strikeouts across just 2 2/3 innings pitched. It seems likely that Houck will take Wacha’s spot in the starting rotation for the time being.

Danish, meanwhile, re-joins the Red Sox for the third time this season after previously being used as a COVID-related substitute on two separate occasions. The 27-year-old made his fifth relief appearance of the year on Sunday and has now produced a 3.18 ERA with seven strikeouts and two walks over 5 2/3 total innings at the big-league level.

(Picture of Michael Wacha: Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Red Sox can’t avoid sweep, fall to White Sox, 3-2, for fifth straight loss

The Red Sox wrapped up a miserable homestand by getting swept by the White Sox at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon. Boston fell to Chicago by a final score of 3-2 to extend their losing streak to five consecutive games and drop to 10-19 on the season.

Tanner Houck, starting in place of the injured Michael Wacha, allowed three earned runs on four hits, no walks, and one hit batsman to go along with two strikeouts over just 2 2/3 innings of work.

After facing the minimum through his first two innings, Houck ran into some trouble in the top half of the third when he yielded a leadoff single to Reese McGuire. The right-hander then plunked Josh Harrison with a 94 mph sinker to put two runners on base, both of whom advanced an additional 90 feet on a Danny Mendick sacrifice bunt. Leury Garcia plated McGuire on a softly-hit single that didn’t even reach the infield dirt. Jose Abreu followed by drilling a two-run double down the left field line that put the White Sox up, 3-0.

Abreu would be the final batter Houck would face. The 25-year-old hurler needed 39 pitches — 25 of which were strikes — to record eight outs. Of those 39 pitches, he only managed to induce four swings-and-misses while raising his ERA on the season to 5.70.

In relief of Houck, Hirokazu Sawamura received the first call out of the bullpen from Red Sox manager Alex Cora, and he stranded the lone runner he inherited in the third. A 15-minute delay that saw first base umpire Marty Foster take over behind the plate for Ron Kulpa did not prevent Sawamura from pitching a scoreless frame in the fourth as well.

Tyler Danish, just called from Triple-A Worcester in place of Wacha, worked his way around a bases-loaded jam in the fifth before giving up a leadoff single to Yasmani Grandal in the sixth. Austin Davis then came on and continued to keep the White Sox off the scoreboard despite hitting a batter.

On the other side of things, the Red Sox lineup had been stifled by White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel through the first 5 1/2 innings of Sunday’s contest. Keuchel, who owned an 8.40 ERA coming into play Sunday, had managed to work his way around a significant amount of traffic on the basepaths up until the bottom of the sixth.

There, the Boston bats finally made the left-hander pay after Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts reached base via a pair of back-to-back one out singles. With runners on the corners and one out in the inning, J.D. Martinez drove in Devers on a productive groundout and Christian Vazquez did the same with Bogaerts on an RBI single to left field. The Red Sox now only trailed by one run at 3-2.

Boston relievers continued to impress from there, as Hansel Robles retired the side in the seventh, Jake Diekman punched out the side in the eighth, and Matt Strahm faced the minimum in the top of the ninth.

Down to their final three outs in the bottom of the ninth and now matched up against White Sox reliever Jose Ruiz, Martinez led off by drilling a double off the Green Monster before being pinch-ran for by Franchy Cordero, who represented the potential tying run.

Despite the encouraging start to the inning, Vazquez popped out to second base, Alex Verdugo struck out on a foul tip, and the pinch-hitting Kevin Plawecki flew out to center field to seal the 3-2 defeat.

Some notes from this loss:

The Red Sox went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left six runners on base as a team. Trevor Story, meanwhile, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and is now batting .194 with a .545 OPS on the season.

By losing by one run on Sunday, Boston fell to 3-7 in one-run games this season.

Next up: On to Atlanta

The Red Sox will look to take advantage of their first of two off days this week before opening up a quick two-game series against the Braves in Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Georgia native and right-hander Garrett Whitlock is slated to start the opener for Boston, while Atlanta will roll with fellow righty Kyle Wright.

First pitch from Truist Park on Tuesday is scheduled for 7:20 p.m. eastern time on NESN and TBS.

(Picture of Tanner Houck: Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Rich Hill, Jason Varitek test positive for COVID-19

Red Sox left-hander Rich Hill and game planning coordinator/catching coach Jason Varitek have both tested positive for COVID-19, manager Alex Cora revealed before Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the White Sox at Fenway Park.

Hill was originally placed on the COVID-19 related injured list alongside Enrique Hernandez on Friday. Both players were exhibiting symptoms at that time but had yet to test positive for the virus.

Since then, Hernandez has been cleared to return to action. Hill, on the other hand, will need to register two negative tests or reach an appropriate CT (cycle threshold) value on-back-to-back days before he is eligible to return.

John Schreiber, who was called up in place of Hill on Friday, remains on Boston’s major-league roster. Garrett Whitlock, meanwhile, will take the veteran left-hander’s spot in the Sox’ starting rotation for Tuesday’s contest against the Braves in Atlanta.

As for Varitek, who tested positive a few days ago, Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) earlier Saturday that the former catcher was “feeling better.”

This should not come as a surprise, but both Hill and Varitek will remain away from the team until they are cleared to return.

(Picture of Rich Hill: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox activate Kiké Hernández from COVID-19 related injured list, option Jarren Duran to Triple-A Worcester

Before losing to the White Sox on Saturday night, the Red Sox announced that they had activated center fielder Enrique Hernandez from the COVID-19 related injured list. In a corresponding move, outfielder Jarren Duran was optioned to Triple-A Worcester.

The Red Sox initially placed Hernandez on the COVID IL on Friday after the 30-year-old had been feeling under the weather the previous day, which left him out of Boston’s lineup for their series finale against the Angels at Fenway Park.

At that time, Hernandez had yet to test positive for COVID-19 despite exhibiting virus-like symptoms. That must have remained the case through Friday and into Saturday since he was able to make his return to the lineup on Saturday afternoon.

Starting in center field and batting sixth, Hernandez went 0-for-4 with one strikeout in Boston’s 3-1 loss to Chicago. The right-handed hitter is now slashing a meager .182/.252/.293 with eight doubles, one home run, 12 RBIs, 12 runs scored, nine walks, and 23 strikeouts over 25 games (111 plate appearances) this season.

Duran, on the other hand, made his 2022 debut in place of Hernandez on Friday night. The 25-year-old reached base two times via a triple and HBP while also striking out once in five trips to the plate.

Though Duran’s first big-league stint of the season was a short one, it would not be surprising if he made his way back up to the Red Sox later in the year, especially if the team remains uncompetitive. Before being promoted on Friday, the speedy left-handed hitter had batted .397/.478/.638 with four doubles, two triples, two home runs, 11 RBIs, 15 runs scored, seven stolen bases, nine walks, and 13 strikeouts across 15 games (67 plate appearances) with the WooSox.

(Picture of Enrique Hernandez: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Hansel Robles blows save as Red Sox lose late lead and fall to White Sox, 3-1, in 10 innings to drop to 10-18 on season

The Red Sox lost their sixth consecutive series on Saturday following a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the White Sox in 10 innings at Fenway Park. By dropping their third straight game, Boston has fallen to 10-18 on the season as they remain in the basement of the American League East.

Nick Pivetta impressed for the Sox in his sixth start of the year. The right-hander kept the White Sox off the scoreboard while scattering five hits, no walks, and one hit batsman to go along with a season-high eight strikeouts over six innings of work.

After giving up a leadoff single to Tim Anderson to begin his day in the first, Pivetta stranded the dangerous shortstop on three separate occasions. He got through the first inning unscathed, retired the side in order in the second, left two runners on — including Anderson — in the third and fifth innings, then sat down three of the final four batters he faced in the sixth.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 91 (62 strikes), Pivetta turned to his four-seam fastball 58% of the time he was on the mound Saturday and induced seven swings-and-misses with the pitch while topping out at 94.3 mph with it. The 29-year-old hurler also lowered his ERA on the season to 6.08.

Shortly before his night ended, the Red Sox put Pivetta in a position to pick up the win by finally getting to White Sox starter Dylan Cease in their half of the fifth. Franchy Cordero reached base via a one-out single, advanced to second base on a Trevor Story walk, and scored from second on an RBI double off the bat of Rafael Devers.

Story moved up to third on the play, but could not score from there as Xander Bogaerts grounded out and J.D. Martinez struck out to kill any shot of an extended rally.

In relief of Pivetta, Ryan Brasier received the first call out of the Red Sox bullpen for the seventh inning and worked his way around a two-out single and stolen base from Leury Garcia. John Schreiber recorded the first two outs of the eighth before allowing two straight White Sox to reach base on a single and fielding error committed by Story. Matt Strahm came on and got the final out of the inning.

Protecting a one-run lead heading into the ninth, Hansel Robles was called upon for the save. Instead of closing things out, though, Robles issued a leadoff walk to Jake Burger that was immediately followed by a line-drive double from Adam Engel. Garcia knocked in the tying run on a sacrifice fly as Robles was charged with his second blown save of the season.

Now trying to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Christian Vazquez created some one-out magic with a single and double that put the potential winning run at third base. Bobby Dalbec failed to come through as he fanned on four pitches. Story then swung at the first pitch he saw from Reynaldo Lopez and popped out to shallow right field to leave Bradley Jr. where he was standing.

With this one headed into extras, Matt Barnes was responsible for the top of the 10th with the automatic runner (A.J. Pollock) already at second base. Barnes was promptly greeted by Jose Abreu, who drove in Pollock by drilling a 107.7 mph RBI double to center field. Luis Robert followed with a hard-hit single of his own that plated Abreu and made it a 3-1 game in favor of the White Sox. Barnes through the rest of the 10th, but the damage had already been done.

Down to their final three outs and matched up against White Sox closer Liam Hendriks yet again, Devers, Bogaerts, and Martinez all grounded out to seal a 3-1 defeat for the Red Sox.

Frustrations boiling over

Red Sox manager Alex Cora was ejected for the first time this season in the third inning of Saturday’s loss. He was thrown out by home plate umpire Carlos Torres for arguing a called strike three against Story.

The Red Sox went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position on Saturday and left 10 runners on base as a team. On the other side of things, the Boston bullpen staff blew their ninth save in 14 opportunities so far this season.

All told, the Red Sox are now 0-6 in extra-inning games this season.

Next up: Keuchel vs. Wacha

The Red Sox will look to avoid the three-game sweep against the White Sox on Sunday morning. Boston will roll with right-hander Michael Wacha in the finale while Chicago will turn to left-hander Dallas Keuchel.

First pitch from Fenway Park on Sunday is scheduled for 11:35 a.m. eastern time on NBC and Peacock.

(Picture of Alex Cora: Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)